This is the third such incident in less than a month in the eastern Mediterranean. In September, close to 100 people, mostly Lebanese and Syrians, had died off the coast of Syria while trying to cross to Europe from Lebanon

Most of the refugees were Lebanese or Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The boat had left the Miniyeh region a few days before and was headed for Europe

The recent incident of refugees being stranded in the Mediterranean without assistance from coastal forces exemplifies a larger pattern of cruelty by European nations towards those fleeing conflict zones

The International Organization of Migration (IOM), a UN agency, claimed that more than 1,146 people drowned while crossing the sea between January and June this year, in comparison to 513 victims in the same period last year

The move is being seen as part of Turkey’s attempts to consolidate its position as a regional hegemon. The actual deployment of troops will take place once the Turkish parliament ratifies the decision

The proxy war being waged in Libya for almost a decade has heated up with regional and international powers, including Turkey, competing for greater control over the region’s resources

The attack took place despite the fact that the Palestinians were fishing in a permitted fishing zone off the coast of Khan Younis in the south of the blockaded Gaza strip